“What
exit?” is a New Jersey thing, so it’s fitting that New Jersey’s largest craft
brewery, Flying Fish, has a whole series of beers devoted to New Jersey
Turnpike exits. For a brewery that has largely leaned on drinkable takes on traditional beer styles, the Exit series has been their opportunity to experiment with things that are a little more offbeat, almost always with a New Jersey twist.
Perhaps that's why it has also resulted in their very best beers.
Previously one-time beers only available in 750ml bottles, a
few of those Exit beers have now made their way to six-packs. Exit 16 is one of them, a beer that sounds odd when you name it but
one that tastes so right when you have it. This is a wild rice
Double IPA – and yes, it’s actually brewed with rice. If that brings to mind
tasteless macro lagers, set your fears aside. This is a complex yet utterly
drinkable beer that gives off aromas of citrus and tangerine, and drinks far
easier than an 8% IPA should drink. It has all the flavor of a great DoubleIPA, but with a softness on the palate that really makes it stand out, with subtle notes of brown grain behind the bright, orangy citrus. It's maybe
the second best thing to come out of Jersey (after pork roll, egg and cheese, of course).
If you love IPAs, you simply HAVE to try this.
Portions of this piece originally appeared in the Philadelphia Weekly and are reprinted here with permission.
It sounds ridiculous to someone who has never had the experience, but there are beers that can capture places and times in ways that few others things can.
Ever
step out onto a grassy field or fresh farmland and been invigorated by the
lush, clean, Earthy smell of the air? That’s Hennepin (a beer I have touched on before). It’s made by Ommegang,
America’s best brewers of Belgian styles – though that’s kind of cheating, what
with being owned by Duval and all – and it is one of the definitive examples of
the elusive saison style. Saison is a broad category, but the basics are that
they tend to be pale, musty, and have some herbal spice kick. This beer is
exactly that to perfection. Hennepin is effervescent but complex, easy drinking
but strong (7.7%), and so good it will leaving you pining for the glorious
taste of horse blanket … which sounds gross to most, but those of you who get
it, get it. And if you’re a city dweller who has never gotten out to the
country and can’t understand why “fresh farmland” is awesome, I’m sorry for
your loss
Almost all of this review was taken from the Philadelphia Weekly and is used here with permission.
